The Red Sun

September 1, 2015

Gr 7-10-When a dwarf appears in 12-year-old Sam's garage, Sam hardly knows what to make of his story. Witches are after him? His own mother is a witch, who left Orkney once to protect him? His father is a descendant of Odin? And now that this dwarf has found Sam, they have to travel back to a strange otherworld to break the curse of the Red Sun, which is choking out all life in Orkney villages? None of this makes much sense to the tween, but it's clear that he's in the middle of something big, and doubly so: a witch kidnaps his two best friends. He has no choice but to rescue his friends, and in doing so he might just save all of Orkney. Sam will need to choose his allies carefully and avoid the traitors in nearly every race in the Ninth Realm. What starts out looking like a retread of Rick Riordan's "Percy Jackson" series (Disney-Hyperion) quickly becomes its own story, with a darker tone and Norse flair. The protagonist struggles to understand himself and the sources-and purposes-of his anger and must learn to channel his rage and energy into breaking an ancient curse and stopping a looming war. This fast-moving adventure-the beginning of a trilogy-is sure to appease mythology fans who are outgrowing Percy Jackson's antics and looking for darker, weightier storytelling. VERDICT A great choice for middle school collections.-Brandy Danner, Perkins School for the Blind, Watertown, MA

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